Omar Abdullah announces counter legal offensive after BJP’s defamation notice

Srinagar: The tension between Omar Abdullah and the BJP intensified on Monday as the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister reacted to the BJP’s defamation notice and warned of a counter legal offensive.

Earlier, on Saturday, he accused the BJP of attempting to destabilise the National Conference government by allegedly offering one of its MLAs between Rs 20-30 crore, a ministerial position, and a promise of statehood in return for switching allegiance. In response, the BJP issued a Rs 100 defamation notice, demanding that he apologise and retract his statement.

In light of this, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah responded to the legal notice on Monday with a touch of sarcasm, referring to it as a ‘love letter’.

He announced that the National Conference would now initiate legal proceedings against senior BJP leaders over what he termed months of “baseless and defamatory” allegations.

Speaking to reporters, CM Abdullah said he had not been formally served with any summons and had only received an electronic copy of the notice through a lawyer.

“I consider this a great honour because I am perhaps the only politician in Jammu and Kashmir to receive such a love letter from the BJP. I take it as a mark of respect because it shows they regard me as a political force they cannot ignore,” he said.

Referring to the controversy that sparked the legal exchange, Omar Abdullah maintained that his remarks regarding the alleged attempt to induce an NC legislator were made from a political platform with the expectation of a political rebuttal. Instead, he alleged, the BJP had chosen to move the courts.

“I could have made the same statement inside the Assembly and taken shelter under legislative privilege where it could not have been challenged.

“I deliberately chose a public platform because I expected a political response. Unfortunately, the BJP has decided that political battles will be fought through the courts,” he said.

The Chief Minister accused the BJP of repeatedly making what he described as false and slanderous allegations against the National Conference and its leadership over the past several months, particularly targeting Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma without naming him.

CM Abdullah announced that the National Conference would now begin issuing legal notices to a particular leader (Sunil Sharma) and certain other BJP leaders, saying the party would pursue the matter through legal channels instead of merely responding politically.

“Let us now see where this legal process leads,” he remarked.

On July 11, speaking at a party convention to observe the 26th death anniversary of his grandmother, Begum Akbar Jahan, popularly known as the ‘Madr-e-Meharbaan’ (Benevolent Mother), Omar Abdullah had alleged that the BJP was offering Rs 20-30 crore to his party MLA, a ministerial berth and statehood promise if he defected from the NC to bring down the NC government.

IANS